Having increased sensory input is also helpful for improving your environmental awareness and reflexes. With improved awareness and reflex response, you can get better at avoiding potential hazards on trails and even in your everyday life.<\/p>\n
Improved Balance and Proprioception<\/h3>\n
Balance is one of the more difficult aspects for new barefoot hikers. For most of our lives, we've become conditioned to wearing shoes, which add protection and balance improvement. Once those shoes are removed, we are instantly more cautious of our footing. Even walking on flat pavement can feel a bit awkward at first. That's because shoes can dull the mechanoreceptors<\/a> on your soles and foot muscles.<\/p>\n Mechanoreceptors help control your weight distribution, balance, and coordination. Wearing shoes for most of our lives can sort of \"trick\" our bodies into developing poor habits like heel-striking and distributing our weight to the edge of our feet. Unfortunately, this can lead to an unnatural gait.<\/p>\n Hiking barefoot requires you to use your muscles and joints in a different way than when wearing shoes. Without the added layer of protection and fortified balance, you're left to almost re-learn how to walk with the possible danger of injury. Learning to hike barefoot can lead to improved balance and proprioception<\/a> (the ability to sense where your body is in space). Additionally, hiking barefoot can help improve your natural gait, too.<\/p>\n When you wear shoes, the muscles in your feet don't get much of a workout. But when you hike barefoot, those muscles have to work hard to keep you stable and navigate obstacles. This can help make your feet stronger and more resistant to injuries. Having stronger feet has its own set of benefits, like improved gait and better balance.<\/p>\n What's more, barefoot hiking toughens the skin on the bottom of your foot (plantar fascia). Developing a stronger plantar fascia can help reduce the risk of developing Plantar Fasciitis<\/a>, the nemesis of seasoned hikers.<\/p>\n Toughening your feet through barefoot hiking can be tough. Though, if you plan on taking barefoot hikes, the challenge is worth it.<\/p>\n Hiking barefoot can also help improve your natural gait. When you walk or run in shoes, your heel hits the ground first (heel strike). But when hiking barefoot, your forefoot strikes the ground first, which is more natural and puts less stress on your joints.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, shoes deceive your body into an incorrect gait and can cause you to develop poor walking and hiking habits. Improving your natural gait is a great way to improve your balance and overall coordination.<\/p>\n Hiking barefoot also helps improve blood flow and circulation in the feet and lower legs. This can reduce swelling and pain, and help keep your feet healthy. If you've ever worn a pair of snug, new hiking boots, you've probably experienced some of these issues before.<\/p>\n Improved circulation in your legs is essential for an avid hiker. It's also great for your health in general. If you've ever experienced numbness or tingling in your feet on a hike, it could be a sign of poor circulation<\/a>. There are several health risks that come with poor circulation, so you may want to try going barefoot for a bit.<\/p>\n At the very least, you'll experience a great circulatory benefit to hiking barefoot.<\/p>\n When you wear shoes, your feet strike the ground with a lot of force. This can lead to joint pain and other injuries over time. But when you hike barefoot, your feet land more softly, which reduces impact and helps prevent injuries. That's because your proprioception is improved. Having a better mental awareness that you are hiking barefoot helps you develop a studier, more natural way of walking on a hike.<\/p>\n Less impact also means you likely won't have to deal with much knee pain when hiking<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, the benefits of hiking barefoot don't come cost-free. From injury risks to traction issues, there are some downsides to consider before you journey out on a barefoot hike.<\/p>\n Without shoes to protect your feet, you're much more likely to get cuts, scrapes, and other injuries. This is especially true if you hike on rough or uneven terrain.<\/p>\n Because most trails are immersed in wilderness, there can be an assortment of dangers. Some of the injury risks of hiking barefoot include:<\/p>\n Hiking barefoot can be dangerous on wet or icy surfaces, as your feet will have a hard time gaining traction. While hiking barefoot up a slope or a hill can help develop great muscle control, it can also be dangerous if the soil beneath starts to slide.<\/p>\n You see, having a pair of hiking shoes on is great for traversing sloped terrain, thanks to the grip on the sole. Without that grip, you're left to your natural devices. If you plan on hiking steep trails barefoot, always take it slow and be mindful of your balance.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, hiking barefoot can potentially lead to cuts. Bacteria and other germs can thrive in moist environments like hiking trails. If you hike barefoot, there's a greater risk of picking up an infection if you've suffered a cut. In some rare cases, you can pick up a bacterial infection without a cut on your foot. In any case, if you plan to traverse wet areas barefoot, always bring some cleaning wipes along. It's better to be safe and not sorry.<\/p>\n Naturally, hiking barefoot is going to put a lot of initial wear and tear on your feet. Without the protection of shoes, you're going to experience some friction. This isn't always a bad thing, though. While blisters are a nightmare to deal with, calluses can help strengthen the bottom of your feet and improve your skin's durability. This will lead to easier bare-foot hikes in the future.<\/p>\n Now that you've read through the pros and cons of hiking barefoot, what's the best way to get started? It's simple: start slow.<\/p>\n Begin by walking around your house or yard barefoot for short periods of time. Once you've got that down, try hiking on easy trails with plenty of soft surfaces. As your balance improves and your feet get stronger and more resistant to injury, you can gradually increase your terrain variation.<\/p>\nStronger Feet<\/h3>\n
Improves Natural Gait<\/h3>\n
Improved Circulation<\/h3>\n
Less Impact<\/h3>\n
![\"can](\"https:\/\/hikeauthority.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/barefoot-hiking.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCons of Hiking Barefoot<\/h2>\n
Increased Risk of Injury<\/h3>\n
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Poor Traction<\/h3>\n
Infections<\/h3>\n
Blisters and Calluses<\/h3>\n
How To Start Hiking Barefoot<\/h2>\n